Custom furniture and standard lines of furniture are constructed in factory setting and then shipped, either assembled or disassembled, to consumers or retail stores so that the furniture can be utilized according to the designated furniture type. For example, the furniture types can include, but are not limited to, bookcases, cabinets, armoires, dressers, desks, credenzas, entertainment centers, curios, shelving systems, benches, and casegoods of all kinds. Generally, a plurality of slabs is connected to each other through a different type of fasteners and different joining features as the overall shape of the assembly delineates the furniture style. The standard construction of such furniture (a set of connected slabs) makes it cost-prohibitive to produce furniture of custom sizes and necessitates an approach of mass production of furniture of predetermined sizes and styles. As a result, the current furniture industry is unable to offer individual customers furniture that is tailored to their specific needs in terms of dimensions, functionality, style and finish. Conventional furniture lacks the customized features that allows the users to create practical and efficient furniture that suit their specific requirements.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a furniture frame structural system that enables the cost-effective manufacturing of furniture of a wide range of dimensions in a wide range of styles. At the same time, this system has numerous other advantages over the industry standard slab construction methodology, including reduced materials costs, reduced labor costs, increased strength and rigidity, increased durability, and a long list of “green” advantages, including the maximization of recycling of materials. The present invention comprises a plurality of frame members that is mechanically interlocked to each other while utilizing rotation preventing joints and post-tensioned fasteners. More specifically, the present invention differs from conventional furniture construction in two ways. (a) by utilizing end connections that are “fixed” (preventing rotation) and (b) by the use of beams and columns instead of slabs and (c) by utilizing unique connections that prevent rotation at joints, resulting in better use of the strength of materials to reduce material and labor requirements while increasing strength, rigidity and durability. In summary, the present invention is able to reduce manufacturing costs, shipping costs, storage spaces, and raw material usage while increasing the load capacity and structural integrity. Most importantly, it enables furniture to be cost-effectively manufactured in small local facilities producing small quantities of standard furniture lines as well as custom furniture, with production triggered by custom orders, without the current industry's large investment in tooling up for new product lines.